title: Microstructured thin peptide-polymer films that spatially control the surface-attachment of living cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The integration of living cells into artificial microdevices requires close control of the interfacial interactions. Functional polymer coatings, such as peptide-polymer monolayers, can be used to guide the specific adhesion of living cells on surfaces in a spatially controlled fashion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Silicon surfaces were modified with a protein repellent polymer film composed of poly(dimethylacrylamide) (PDMAA) attached to the peptide cell-recognition motif GRGDSP and a subsequent PDMAA backfill. Microstructuring was achieved through a photolithographical process using surface-bound photoreactive benzophenone. Cell adhesion assays with human fibroblasts were conducted to study the capabilities of this approach to induce a directed outgrowth of living cells and to confine cell colony sizes to single cell arrays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Human fibroblasts follow the chemically imprinted microstructures on peptide-polymer coated substrates. Lines of GRGDSP-PDMAA with a width of 10 µm induce a highly elongated cell shape whereas round spots with a diameter of 50 µm support only single cells per spot. Starting at a center-to-center distance of 100 µm between single peptide-polymer spots, cells are able to "bridge" non-adhesive PDMAA areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peptide-polymer monolayers can direct the outgrowth and restrict the cell colony size through a variation of the imprinted chemical microstructures.
authors.affiliation: Ernst-Berl-Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: Sönke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biesalski
mesh_terms: D000178:Acrylamides / Q000737:chemistry*; D000268:Adhesiveness; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D048430:Cell Shape; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D000178:Acrylamides; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D009842:Oligopeptides; C429790:poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide); C058161:glycyl-arginyl-glycyl-aspartyl-seryl-proline